Podia alternative

Sell courses, coaching, and memberships.
With no fee on any paid plan.

Podia's entry plan charges a 5% transaction fee. Forento's paid plans have no Forento sales commission, and you can build your academy on a free plan before you pay anything.

Start for free Compare plans

4.8/5 on AppSumo · Creators in 151 countries · Free forever plan

Forento and Podia in numbers

Forento sales commission on paid plans

Podia Mover charges 5%

day free trial

Podia's trial is 14 days

∞

products on every plan

Podia Mover allows 50 products and 500 videos

to get started

Podia has no free plan

Pricing comparison

Compare the entry plans with a website

Podia Mover costs $42 per month billed annually and includes a website, email marketing for 100 subscribers, and a 5% transaction fee. Forento Start costs $39 per month billed annually, with a website, blog, and community and no Forento sales commission. Without a website, Forento Basic costs $15.

Podia

Mover plan

$42/mo

billed annually

50 products

5% transaction fee

Email marketing for 100 subscribers

Website and blog

Forento

Start plan

$39/mo

billed annually

Unlimited products

0% sales commission

Website and blog

Community with gamification

See all Forento plans

Feature comparison

Forento vs Podia

Compare the capabilities that matter most when you create and sell courses.

Feature	Forento	Podia
Online courses	Included	Included
Digital downloads	Included	Included
Coaching sessions	Included	Included
Events and webinars	Included	Included
Community	Start and Scale	Included
Website and blog	Start and Scale	Included
Custom domain	Basic and up	Included
Built-in email marketing	Not included	Included
Affiliate program	Not included	Shaker and up
Sales tax collection	With Stripe Tax	Included
Company based in the EU	Included	Not included
Free plan	Included	Not included
Transaction fee	0% on paid plans	Mover: 5%; Shaker and up: 0%
Products	Unlimited	Mover: 50; Shaker: 150; Earthquaker: unlimited

Prices checked November 13, 2026, in USD with annual billing. Payment processing fees apply on both platforms. Podia includes more email subscribers on higher plans. Forento Basic doesn't include the website builder or community; those require Start or Scale. Forento Free charges a 20% sales commission. Features depend on the selected plan. Check current Podia pricing.

Honest verdict

Podia or Forento?

Podia and Forento sell the same kinds of products, and their entry plans with a website cost about the same. The difference is in what each bundles in.

Choose Podia if you

Want email marketing and your course platform in one tool
Want a website and blog on the cheapest plan
Plan to recruit affiliates or offer upsells, from Shaker up
Want sales tax calculated and collected at checkout without setting up Stripe Tax

Choose Forento if you

Want to start free, or only need courses and a custom domain for $15 per month
Don't want a transaction fee on your entry plan
Sell more than 50 products or 500 videos without upgrading
Want a community with levels and a leaderboard, made and hosted in the EU

Why switch?

Room to grow without fees or caps

💰

No fee on any paid plan

Forento Basic, Start, and Scale have no Forento sales commission. Only payment processing fees apply.

🎓

No product ceiling

Add courses, downloads, videos, sessions, and events without moving up a plan because you reached a limit.

🏆

A community that motivates

Members earn levels and climb a leaderboard, and you can run polls and direct messages on Start and Scale.

Questions about switching from Podia

Is Forento cheaper than Podia?

It depends on the plans you compare. Forento Basic costs $15 per month billed annually but doesn't include a website. Forento Start, with the website, blog, and community, costs $39 per month billed annually, compared with $42 for Podia Mover, which also charges a 5% transaction fee. Prices were checked on November 13, 2026.

What does Podia have that Forento doesn't?

Podia includes email marketing with newsletters and automations, an affiliate program and upsells on Shaker and above, and sales tax collection at checkout. Forento sends automatic student emails but not marketing campaigns, so keep an email marketing tool if you rely on Podia's.

Does Forento take a commission on my sales?

Not on paid plans. Basic, Start, and Scale have no Forento sales commission, while the Free plan charges 20%. Payment processor fees from Stripe or PayPal apply on every plan.

How does Forento handle sales tax and VAT?

Connect Stripe and turn on Stripe Tax to calculate and collect VAT and sales tax on Stripe sales. Tax isn't calculated on PayPal sales.

Can I try Forento before I cancel Podia?

Yes. Paid plans include a 30-day free trial, so you can build and test your academy while your Podia site keeps running.

Ready to move from Podia?

Try a paid Forento plan free for 30 days, then decide whether Forento fits the way you sell.

Start for free

Sell courses, coaching, and memberships.With no fee on any paid plan.